Filtering through the Olympic process is a once in a lifetime thrill ride for an amateur fighter—quite possibly the most important, most memorable phase of his entire pugilistic career.  It’s where he gladly pops his proverbial cherry en route to professional success, and it’s his first taste of fistic stardom to forever reflect upon.  Muhammad Ali, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Oscar DeLa Hoya and George Foreman all point to the Olympics as the springboard to their individual greatness.  That’s how it’s supposed to be, anyways.  Unfortunately, the current crop of United States boxers—who are preparing to compete in Beijing, China—are finding their pre-Olympic experience to be more of a job than an adventure.  At a time when the level of anticipation, excitement should be peaking, and when the ensemble should start to resemble a close-knit family, more and more members of the 2008 U.S. boxing team are becoming discouraged by the procedures, operations and teachings they’re receiving at the Olympic headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado as things are quickly unraveling.   

     By most accounts, the gist of the problem seems to be Dan Campbell, national director of coaching.  He’s not the easiest person to get along with, according to those who’ve dealt with him (which this writer admittedly hasn’t).  On top of that, Campbell’s qualifications are sketchy at best.  He was “involved” with several national Junior Olympic winners, but the degree of his impact upon them is unknown.  Back in the 1990’s, Campbell led a female fighter to a national title, but women’s boxing had no legitimacy whatsoever in those days.  “Null and void” not only applied to the state of competition in chick boxing back then, but it also could have been the actual name of an opponent and no one would’ve known the difference.

     Among those who are openly affected by Campbell is Luis Yanez, the 106-pound representative, leader and captain of the 2008 U.S. boxing team and perhaps it’s most vocal member.  Yanez is an energetic, happy-go-lucky, wide-eyed sort who’s had his inner flame noticeably dulled by Campbell.  According to Luis’ trainer, Dennis Rodarte, it was instantly apparent that something wasn’t right, when his fighter returned from Colorado Springs the first time.  “I feel like Luis gets a better workout in Dallas than he does in Colorado Springs.  He got sore and fatigued quickly, when he came back home.  His hands were slower cause of all the weight training they do up there.  Personally, I have my guys do light weights about once a week, but nothing heavy, trying to work on speed.  Power hurts but speed kills.  More than that, I can immediately tell when something isn’t right with Luis and the day he came back, I could see that the fire wasn’t there.  And when it was time to spar, guys that he normally has to take it easy on were damn near whipping him.  It frustrated Luis and me.  I eventually got him back on track, but the next time he left and returned to Dallas, the same thing happened.  I’ve videotaped a couple Olympic workouts and thought the guys weren’t busy enough.  They were just standing around, hitting the bag every now and then, very disinterested.  And with Luis, he’s the type of guy that needs to constantly be doing something.  He needs to be pushed.” 

     Compounding matters is the fact that Yanez is an ultra confident sort who doesn’t hesitate to express himself in the ring; in fact, Luis is encouraged to do so by Rodarte.  Nonetheless, during a recently televised bout, Dan Campbell openly shunned the bravado that got Yanez to the brink of the Olympics.  And after easily out-pointing his Brazilian opponent and registering two standing 8-counts, Luis was told that he made the fight “harder than it needed to be.”  Campbell’s been harping on Yanez’s flamboyant tactics for the past year now.

     It’d be easy to assume that Yanez and Rodarte just have sour grapes and are angry, non-compliant participants, but the plot is much thicker than that.  Campbell himself has publicly spoken out against his own squad.  According to Rodarte, “There was an article somewhere out of the D.C./Maryland area where Dan was badmouthing some of the fighters.  He called Demetrius Andrade ‘lazy’, called Gary Russell, Jr. a ‘crybaby’ and said Rau’ Shee Warren is ‘not a hard worker’.”  Even if those remarks were true, it’s like the CEO of a company publicly bashing his own employees while simultaneously trying to maintain an effective working relationship with them; a recipe for disaster, in other words.

    Along with Yanez, Sadam Ali (the 132 pound U.S. representative) recently voiced his opinions about the Olympic routines and methods on the most recent episode of the Fightbeat.com radio show.  Fuel and an extra log was also added to the fire by the U.S.’ 141 pound participant, Javier Molina.  Like the others, Molina is openly upset about the team’s level of preparation (or lack thereof) and the coaching.  “I’d rather be home getting ready for Beijing,” Molina says.  “I’m really not sure how much Dan knows about boxing.  In the one year that I’ve been working with him, all he’s told me about boxing is ‘turn my opponent.’  That’s it, to’ turn my opponent.’  He says that over and over.  And he tries to make all of us fight in the same exact style.  I don’t have confidence in him and I don’t trust him.  Dan isn’t reasonable.  Being in the Olympics can change my life and I don’t want to have any regrets.” 

     There have reportedly been verbal altercations involving Campbell and the parents of some of the fighters. Stipends are withheld on a whim, and he (Campbell) doesn’t solicit nor accept suggestions from the trainers who brought these young men to this point in the first place.  Rumor also has it that more 2008 U.S. boxing team members are equally as dissatisfied as the aforementioned, but they’re biding their time until after Beijing before speaking out. 

     Hopefully, the apparent tension will result in a successful team for our country and if so, Dan Campbell can rightfully thumb his nose at his critics for having stuck to his guns.  But if the 2008 edition of the U.S. boxing team brings home a paltry number of medals, Campbell won’t be able to avoid the number of frustrated fingers pointing in his direction.  Instead of “turning” his opponent, he’d better learn to duck.